Popular Park Slope brunch spot closes up after liquor authority pulls license

The closing of a popular brunch spot in Park Slope has caused a mix of disappointment from patrons and excitement from neighbors.

News 12 Staff

Jan 11, 2020, 1:44 AM

Updated 1,579 days ago

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The closing of a popular brunch spot in Park Slope has caused a mix of disappointment from patrons and excitement from neighbors.
The doors to Woodland Bar closed after the State Liquor Authority pulled its license last week. It was a popular weekend brunch spot -- but that was also an issue for the SLA.
In a court document, inspectors detailed going undercover and observing wait staff serving countless mimosas without cutting off customers, who they claimed were visibly drunk. Several of the violations were administrative.
The 78th Precinct regularly patrolled outside, with one community affairs officer stating in court documents there were large crowds, fights and people running into the street. The NYPD even confirmed a man was slashed outside on Dec. 2.
However, the Black Institute organization claims neighbors complained simply because the business catered to black and Caribbean clientele.
"It was moreso people's disdain for the people that were here," says Morgan Flores of the Black Institute. "People complained about the hip-hop music and you can only understand that as a racially charged accusation when you say you're afraid of the people on the line, or you don't like the music that is playing."
Steve Ettlinger, a neighbor, gave his personal account to the SLA, and says it has nothing to do with race.
"Vomit and urinating on our stoops and fornicating. One neighbor had an 8- or 10-year-old daughter who filmed people on the stoop ... she showed the film to her mom and said, 'Mommy why is that woman sitting on top of that man with her pants off?' I mean wow! And this kind of thing happened all the time."
The Black Institute says its fight to save the bar has run its course.
 


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